Dumping of household waste highlighted in campaign

Last year, the council said it was deploying a drone in its efforts to combat fly-tipping in the city

Wolverhampton residents are being encouraged to be vigilant about rogue waste carriers who offer cheap deals and then illegally dump household waste in public spaces.

The city council said it was highlighting the issue during Fight Fly-Tipping Fortnight, which aims to help residents protect themselves and their communities.

Residents are being advised to ask operators for their waste carrier registration number and check it on the Environment Agency's public register, then ask for a receipt.

"If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is and sadly it's our residents and communities who ultimately pay the price," said councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, cabinet member for resident services.

The council is supporting the campaign with Keep Britain Tidy between 10 and 23 November.

Local authorities across the country will be highlighting the scale and impact of fly-tipping, educating residents on how to protect themselves and their communities.

Fines for fly-tipping were increased earlier this year and the city council said the issue costs Wolverhampton taxpayers around £300,000 a year.

"Fly tipping has a real impact and is a deep source of frustration," Gakhal said.

"Our teams work tirelessly to tackle the problem, but we also need our community's help to stop it at the source.

"We're asking people to check who they pay to take rubbish away."

Anna Scott, director of services at Keep Britain Tidy, said: "By making simple checks before handing over waste and always getting a receipt, people can protect themselves from rogue traders, stop organised criminal networks in their tracks and help ensure public money is spent where it's needed most."